Born to Run
by CynnieD
Summary: After a nasty fight, Chara decides that maybe life in Ebott isn't for her. She didn't like school, the city or any of the humans in it. The only thing keeping her there was her family and well... She rather not think about it. So, where does a thirteen-year-old go? Literally, anywhere.
1. Tillamook

**June 24th, 2016. 12:00 am**

Chara had left at twilight.

When she left her backpack was full. She had quietly assembled all the essential things; snacks, phone, clothes, and money. There were also a few not so essential things; DS, makeup, wigs, and her trusty knife.

Her footsteps were quiet and measured as she exited the house. Weary of particularly squeaky spots. The last thing she needed was for someone to wake up. Especially if that someone was Toriel. God, would that be a nightmare.

Once outside, it took a while her to get her bike. Garage doors were never known to be quiet. But as soon as she got it, Chara took her bike and rode out of Ebott City.

Every so often a car would speed by. Lighting up the road if only for a few moments. Chara wondered if they gave a shit that she was out here. Probably not. She could just be a short adult. At least that's what she was banking on. She biked along the Oregon Coast Highway for about a half an hour before entering a quaint, little, town called Tillamook. It was so quaint and little that there was a single Inn. One. Red Apple Inn. Only the best for a runaway.

When Chara had finally pulled into the Inn's parking lot, she was out of breath. Her heavy pants filled the eerie silence of the small town. She wheeled her bike towards the main building, before leaning it against the off blue wood panels.

The whole room felt off. Chara slightly flinched. The door had closed behind her. Maybe it was the stack of newspapers on the main desk. Maybe it was the stopped clock. Maybe… The tiled floor didn't help either. The clicks of her combat shoes, they didn't fill her with confidence they usually did. They just…

Once reaching the front desk, Chara slid her fingers across the smooth surface…. Odd. Not only was her finger now coated in dust but, so was everything else in the room. The chairs, the tables, the room keys. Chara leaned back to look out the windows. There were cars in the lot. She quickly returned upright and began to speak before stopping. She shouldn't call should she. The keys to the rooms were right in front of her. She could just…

.

With a click, room 2B opened.

The first night was hard. Sleeping in a strange bed, in a strange room, in a strange town. Okay, maybe the town wasn't strange. But it seemed like it was one of those "Small Towns". The ones nobody got out of. It was one night. A couple of hours till she'd leave on the bus to Portland. She just had to fall asleep.

Morning broke 3 hours later. With lethargic movements, she went to go place her room key back where it belonged. But as she heavily went down the stairs, the room key was gone from her pocket. She had just put it there. Chara slung off her backpack and began to rummage through it. Nothing. Grabbing her bag, she bolted down the stairs and into the main building. Her blood ran cold.

"Good mornin', dear! What brings ya here?"

A middle-aged lady stood behind the main desk. With a bob haircut and a perky smile, she waved Chara over. There was a moment of hesitation before she moved. She slid her hands against the counter again. No dust. She looked to her right. A single newspaper. The clock? Moving again. There was one more thing she had to check.

"Dear, are you doin' okay? You look a little frazzled." The lady said before sliding over a plate of croissants. "Here, honey, take one. You'll feel better."

Chara's hand shakily took one, raised it to her mouth and began nibbling. The lady smiled before putting the plate on the waiting corner table. And as soon as she moved Chara's heart skipped a beat. Hanging from the labelled hook was the key to room 2B. Right, where she had first snatched them. They were in pristine condition. How?

Chara swallowed before asking "Umm, Miss? Where's the bus station from here?"

"Just up the street on the corner of 2nd and Laurel. Leavin' so soon?"

"Yeah."


	2. Transition Period 1

**_June 24th, 2016. 7:10 am_**

She had left the Inn at 7:10 am.

The bike over to the station was pretty uneventful. Tillamook was just a small town. There weren't many people around. Walking or otherwise. No matter when you went out, there would always be someone around in Ebott. There was always noise. Construction, Drunk people. This town. Was weird. Thankfully, as Chara pulled into the station, she wouldn't have to be here much longer.

She placed her stuff on the blue bench outside before going to inspect the schedule. The bus would be arriving at 8:15. A sigh escaped her lips, she's gonna be here for a while then. She bounced on the balls of her feet before strolling inside. Even in a town like this, going to Portland wasn't going to be cheap. She swiftly plucked a pamphlet and went to sit back outside.

Chara skimmed until she found the number she was looking for. Fifteen. Fifteen bucks to ride this thing. She wasn't sure if it was a ripoff or not but, it was what she had to work with. She stuffed the paper into her bag before pulling out her phone. As soon as she clicked the screen on she was greeted with her lock screen photo. Frisk, Asriel, and herself at the beach. She'd have to change that soon. No emotional baggage for her! Her hand went back into her backpack to look for her-Shit.

Chara let out an elongated curse. She had forgotten her headphones at home. There was no conceivable way that she was taking a two-hour bus ride without headphones. But before she worked herself up into a tizzy, she remembered on her way here there was a Shell gas station. Her feet had never moved so fast.

When entering the gas station, Chara probably looked like a tornado. Not that she cared at the moment. With messy hair, jagged breaths, and darting eyes, her clothes at least looked fine. She walked up and down the aisles before finding a pair. They were one of those red gummy ones that only cost a couple of dollars. Chara knew they weren't going to last long but they didn't have to.

Chara slid over to the register and placed the headphones on the counter.

"That's all?" asked the lady behind the counter. Her wavering voice caught Chara off guard. She slowly nodded as the lady's delicate hands scanned her purchase. "It'll be nine dollars. Card?"

"Nope, cash. Hold on a second." Chara said before digging through her pockets. Once finding the right amount, she tapped out a rhythm while the lady grabbed a bag. She insisted that she didn't need one but, she was getting one anyway. Her gaze moved around the store. Doubling back towards the aisle with all the chocolate. It was tempting. Very tempting. But she resisted. Instead, something else caught her eye. The security monitors. A strike of worry hit her in the gut. She wasn't worried about seeing herself on there. Oh no.

Chara was more concerned about who she couldn't.

Her eyes darted back and forth between the monitor and the woman in front of her. She was _right there_! Wasn't she? Chara suddenly felt a chill run down her spine. The lady smiled.

"What's wrong?" She asked in an uncanny tone. Chara couldn't speak. She wasn't sure what to say. So, she peeped out a "Nothing" before taking her change and headphones and bolting out the store.

She needed to leave this town.

When the bus finally came, Chara was less than impressed. The damn thing looked like a small, painted, school bus. It looked like something Mettaton wouldn't even want be around let alone get in. With a heavy sigh, Chara attached her bike the back and got in.

There were a couple other people on the bus. All singles who wanted to keep to themselves as much as she did. Score! Chara paid the driver and sat in the second row. She plugged her headphones in and started her "Faves" playlist and closed her eyes.

Chara was then jostled awake. Instinctively, she checked her phone for the time. She had slept for forty-five minutes. Not bad. She got up, and let out a yawn as she stretched. Once she heard the satisfying pops and cracks of her bones, her gaze shifted. Her drowsy eyes took one good look outside and widened.

Chara fumbled trying to grasp her phone to check the time again. Okay, if it was nine o'clock am, then _why_ did it look like it was pm?! She urgently looked around the bus to see if anyone else noticed it. Nope. Chara looked back outside. The darkness of night blanketed the surrounding forest. You know she wasn't going to freak out. Nope. She's just going to go back to sleep. Yep. Just go back to sleep and everything will be okay.

Scratch that plan.

Chara's stomach twisted in fear as her phone buzzed. She got a text.

It was Asriel.

He was asking where she was.

Chara didn't respond.

He sent another text. And another.

Then Frisk sent her one.

Then Toriel sent a flurry of texts.

Soon, Chara's phone wouldn't stop buzzing.

What was she supposed to do? She had never factored in the fact that they might text her. She had never had factored in that they might care. Care that she was gone. Maybe she should…

Chara silenced her phone. She couldn't go back. Not after the fight. Not after Therapy. Not….

It was just better this way.

They would forget about her.

Move on.

Maybe adopt another child.

Maybe a baby this time.

Yes.

This was better.


	3. Regret

June 24th, 2016. 10:39 am.

The guy at the front desk was half asleep when Chara arrived at The Downtown Value Inn.

The poor son of a gun had heavy bags under his dead eyes. He didn't even question why a thirteen-year-old would want a room and how they got the money. Chara wasn't sure if the man was even technically alive. There were flies buzzing around the foyer.

With lidded eyes and a yawn he handed Chara the room key and sent her on her way. And as she walked towards the door to the stairs she heard a blatant thump. She looked behind her to see the man's head against the marble counter. Chara quickly went back to check to see if he dropped dead. The evidence wasn't promising.

After several attempts to shake him awake, she gave up. Hopefully, he was just really, really tired.

The stairs were weird. As soon as Chara opened the heavy door she was greeted by concrete. Couldn't they've spared a single dollar for carpet? She let out a sigh. Looking between the stairs and her bike. Luckily, there were only two flights. But as she reached the top and opened the door without checking first.

Chara walked out into the hallway. Before she could even take her first step she fell… upwards?

Her head smacked against the ceiling, leaving her dazed. She took a moment before sitting up. Immediately, Chara felt nauseous. It felt like her stomach just ate shit. In both meanings of the term. Her eyes were blurry. Not too bad, though. But, just enough to be annoying. She groaned before observing her situation. From what she could make out, she was indeed on the ceiling. And so was her bike.

This day just wouldn't end.

That's why kids, you should always check out what's behind a door before entering all willy-nilly. You'll never know when gravity decides to play tricks.

And play tricks it did.

Chara slowly stood up. Her legs and hands shaking. She felt like throwing up. Her stomach twisted and flopped. She had to get to her room. The first few steps were sluggish. Each step was drawn out. One foot…. And then the other…. And the other…. And the other. She slowly found a rhythm while dragging her bike along the ceiling. Her room was at the end of the hall so, it took a while to get there. When she finally did, Chara realised she had an entirely different problem on her hands. How to get into her room.

On the tips of her toes, her arms just reached the door's handle. Her right arm strained as she slipped in the key and turned it. And like that, the door swung open. Why wasn't it affected by the weird gravity shift? Chara had no clue.

But she took what she could get.

Now, all she had to do was haul her bike and herself in the room.

With a loud, metallic crash, the bike had successfully crashed its way into the room. Haphazardly landing near the allotted desk. Chara, holding herself up on the head of the door, crawled her way inside. By the time her upper half got in, she (Once again) fell. Onto the actual floor this time. But that didn't stop her from slinging off her backing pack and slamming the door closed. She slid down onto the ground and placed her head in her hands.

She began to mutter curses.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

Her breathing got quicker.

A pulse beat through her head.

Thick and heavy.

Her stomach just couldn't settle.

Her throat tightened.

Bile began to rise.

She was going to—

Chara frantically made a dash for the bathroom. Her legs collapsed in front of the toilet. She pulled her hair away from her face. Her head hung over the bowl.

Everything was suddenly muted.

All she could hear were her heavy breaths.

Her stomach couldn't take it.

She vomited. The sounds of her gags and retches echoed in her ears. Her throat burned. The acid-like bile coming up from her stomach too. It just wouldn't stop.

She couldn't stop.

Not until she was dry heaving did she rest. Her breaths were now dry and scratchy. A trembling hand pulled on the handle. Most of her meltdown was then flushed away.

But the rest was still in full swing.

Tears began to fall down her rosy cheeks. One by one they fell. With a knot in her throat, she let out soft sobs. Which turned into loud ones. Chara's whole body shook as she cried. Her hands gripped the edges of the seat. Her knuckles turning white.

She wanted to go home.

She wanted to get back on the bus and go back to Ebott City.

She wanted to hug Asriel and Frisk.

She wanted to apologise to Mom.

She wanted Dad to be there.

She wanted to go back.

Chara managed to pull herself off of the floor and looked into the mirror.

It's her. Sadly.

Her eyes were bloodshot and glassy. Her cheeks were tear-stained. Her hair was a mess.

She looked…

 _Pathetic_.

So, pathetic.

She couldn't even go a single day by herself. She wasn't even good enough to run away. Not even good enough to be the family disappointment.

Tears began to fall again.

This was stupid. She was stupid. Everything was so STUPID!

Chara started to rummage through her backpack. She found what she was looking for. Her trusty knife. She held it to her wrist before stopping. She could her Toriel's voice in hear head. The distraught sounds of a mother. Chara dropped the knife as if it burnt her. NO! She had to do something. Everything about her was so stupid. She couldn't just do nothing. Her hands raked through her hair in distress.

Her hair.

Without a second thought, Chara grabbed her knife and began to chop. By the end of it, locks of dark brown hair were scattered across the floor. She gasped. Her hands ran through her now short hair. Horrified by her actions, tears threatened to fall once more. Chara took a strained gulp and walked over to the bed. Not even wanting to look in the mirror.

She sat down. Her lips pursed. She tried to steady her breathing. In and out. In and out. Her fingers flexed and unflexed in time with her breaths. All she needed right now was a nap.

Ding!

Chara's hand slowly took out her phone from her pocket.

51 unseen texts and 32 missed calls.

Well.

That was a problem for future Chara


End file.
